Nigeria town holds first vote in a decade after Boko Haram insurgency

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‎‎By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde, Maiduguri, Nigeria
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‎Residents of Malam Fatori, a remote town in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State, voted on Sunday for the first time in more than a decade, in a local party primary that officials hailed as a milestone in the community’s return to peace after years of Boko Haram violence.
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‎The border settlement in Abadam local government area was once a major flashpoint in the jihadist insurgency that ravaged the Lake Chad region and forced thousands of people to flee across the border into neighbouring Niger.
‎‎Years of conflict left Malam Fatori deserted, its homes, markets and public buildings in ruins as residents sought refuge in displacement camps across Borno and beyond.
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‎In recent years, sustained military operations by the Nigerian Army’s 68 Battalion under the Operation Hadin Kai theatre command have pushed back militants and reopened key access routes, allowing the gradual return of displaced residents.
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‎“Today’s peaceful primary shows how far we’ve come,” said a local electoral officer who supervised the vote. “People can finally exercise their civic rights again without fear.”
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‎Borno State officials joined community leaders to observe the councilorship primary, which witnesses described as peaceful and well-organised. Among the dignitaries present were the State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman A. Tar; the Member representing Abadam in the State Assembly, Hon. Jamna Bong; and the Abadam Local Government Chairman, Engineer Abubakar Aji.
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smiling voters queued patiently under the sun a sight unseen in Malam Fatori for more than ten years. For many, the election carried deep symbolic meaning.
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‎“This is about hope,” said Abukar Garba, a returning resident. “We have suffered, but now we are rebuilding our lives.”
‎‎Military officials said troops remain deployed to consolidate security gains and ensure the full restoration of civil authority in the area. Continuous patrols and cooperation with local vigilantes, they said, have helped deter attacks and strengthen confidence among returnees.
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‎The vote marks another step in Borno State’s broader effort to restore governance and normalcy in areas once under insurgent control a sign, officials say, that Nigeria’s long fight to reclaim peace in the northeast is beginning to bear fruit.
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